Evaluating Playfulness (paper)

Construct Validity of the Children’s Playfulness Scale (CPS)

Efthimios Trevlas et al (Sept. 2003)

Some selected quotes:

Contemporary research on children’s play approaches it as a personality trait. A generally accepted definition of playfulness in young children is an internal predisposition to bring a playful quality to interactions and episodes. This trait is an individual characteristic and its expression, relatively stable, reproducible and recognisable.

While many authors wrote about the need to focus not on the external environment but on the internal disposition of player, few methodological efforts in this direction have been successful.

Lieberman (1965) was among the first who defined playfulness as a characteristic of the player and supported the existence of the playfulness trait in young children. Asking preschool teachers to rate the children in their classes, she identified five components of this playfulness quality: (a) physical spontaneity, (b) social spontaneity, (c) cognitive spontaneity, (d) manifest joy, and (e) sense of humour.

Specifically, it was hypothesized a priori that five measured variances item variables (motor, social, mental, humor, and joy) were manifestations of a latent variable “playfulness.”

The CPS instrument in this study required teachers to rate young children's 'playfulness' across the five point scale. They conclude:

The results of the present study supported the construct validity of the CPS proposed by Barnett (1991), encouraging educators to use it as one useful tool in the comprehensive assessment of children’s play behavior.

The authors touch on playfulness as an internal condition, but the study is based on observed behaviour.

Does this affect the possibility of authenticity in considering playfulness?

What about freedom?

What about shared playfulness?